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Breast Cancer

Chat Room TONIGHT!!!!
remember to come! 9pm est and I forget the difference in others..sorry :( west coast I think is 6pm, then there is a 8pm hope this helps.
Heading up on the roller coaster
I wanted to thank so many of you for responding to my other message. I know that even though you might not have written, I have felt everyones caring and understanding, and....support. Thank you so much for thinking of me and writing. To be honest, I have been so exhausted and down but I have been feeling so many hugs from…
Breast Cancer Site
Hi everyone, I just received this email and wanted to share it with you. I'm going to pass it on to friends and family because as I understand it while our mammograms are covered for everyone, there are women in the U.S. that can't afford one. I do hope this helps them. jan * I * 6 * Y Please tell ten friends to tell ten…
Thank You All
I just want to thank all of you who have responded to my postings and/or emailed me. I start my chemo tomorrow and I'm ready. You've all given such great tips and such fantastic encouragement that I'm going to face this thing head on and fight my way through. Thanks again for being there. I really appreciate it.
reconstruction recovery time
I have gotten a few email replies in my mailbox, but I wanted to ask the group (those of you who had TRAM Flap reconstruction): how long did it take for you to be able to sit and stand after you had the procedure, even with some discomfort? I am concerned about the lengthy recovery time because I have my own business and…
recovery time/mastectomy/lattimus flap
I am going to have a mastectomy and then immediate reconstruction (I know I am not spelling this correctly, but it's the lattimus dorsal flap with skin sparing mastectomy - they told me it's a new procedure involving using the outer skin from the breast, inserting an implant, and then taking some skin from my side). Does…
recovery time/mastectomy/lattimus flap
I am going to have a mastectomy and then immediate reconstruction (I know I am not spelling this correctly, but it's the lattimus dorsal flap with skin sparing mastectomy - they told me it's a new procedure involving using the outer skin from the breast, inserting an implant, and then taking some skin from my side). Does…
Shortened Life
I guess I am just feeling blue but in my bones I feel I don't have much time. Yes, I have received blood results that don't look good but that is not it. I guess I am just on the down swing of the roller coaster and toooo tired to chug up the hill. I have received so much support from the chats and the message boards. It…
Ixempra
I have been told that I am going to start a new treatment called Ixempra. It is a new drug and I was wondering if anyone has used it and what to expect from the side effects. Thanks
Chemo Side Effects - How Long Do They Last?
I've heard about the metallic taste, nausea, vomitting, exhaustion, joint pain, and neuropathy. How long do these side effects last? Are you nauseated for the entire twelve weeks or for a few days after the infusion? Does the metallic taste last the entire time? Is this why people lose weight while on chemo? I know the PA…
getting through chemo
I check this page everyday now. The encouragement is incredible and also the lovely safe feeling of being among sisters. I am being tossed around by Taxol at the moment and feeling achy and I wanted to write to all of you who are in the same place, bravely, or not so bravely, in the middle of chemo battle. Let's all get…
Xeloda side effects
Hello, I have a few questions about Xeloda if anyone out there is still taking it. I just finished my first 2 week cycle of the drug, and after 3 days off, my hands and feet are starting to tingle. Is Xeloda a cumulative drug? I do not see any redness, swelling, or blisters, only slight tingling in the center of my palm. I…
er pr positive/Her2 positive
Does anyone else have this? Stage 1 no lymphnode involvement, premenopausal. What were the treatments? Just recently had lumpectomy awaiting word from docs on their plan. Thanks
Thoughts on Xeloda
Hi there, I was diagnoised with breast cancer in March, I've been through 6 cycles of Chemo, a double mastectomy, and 7 weeks of radiation. I have two more days of radiation left but then they are thinking of putting me on Xeloda just to make sure. Its more my husbands pushing just to make sure we've gotten everything. I…
confused about all the different types of reconstruction
I am going to have a mastectomy and definitely want reconstruction, but there seem to be so many types that I am confused! Can people advise me of their experiences with the different types? Also, how long did it take you to resume normal activities with the Tram flap (I'm a social worker and just sit in a chair and talk…
question about reconstruction and mammograms
Maybe someone can answer this question for me: my breast surgeon told me when you have a mastectomy, there is no breast tissue so the cancer cannot come back in that breast (I assumed that this means there is no need to mammogram the reconstructed breast). But now that I am researching reconstruction I am confused because…
Robin Roberts
Goodmoring sisters, I hope many of you were able to watch Robin Roberts walk the runway today decked out in her georgeous red, sequeined gown, and shiny bald head. She has shared much of her story with us openly, honestly, and with dignity, and today she displayed the courage all of us find dealing with this monster. I…
mastectomy breast care survivors - I want to hear from you
I am obsessing about this question: whether to have a lumpectomy or mastectomy and have written in several times! However, now I am asking only people who chose to have a mastectomy over a lumpectomy AND had early stage breast cancer (my tumor is 1.8 cm and I have inductal invasive carcinoma) to reply. I'll be looking for…
First Year As A Survivor
It's my first year as a survivor. Time to celebrate and as ya'll say time for a happy dance. Jackie
what's it like to have a mastectomy/reconstruction
I have invasive intraductal carcinoma with a tumor of 1 cm. Digital mammography also revealed some 'calcifications' contained in the duct behind the 1 cm tumor. My mind is made up to have a mastectomy because of the fear of recurrence, even though I understand it can still recur in the breast wall and there are no…
6 year survivor freakout
Okay- this is SO weird. A few weeks ago, it was cold and very windy here. So I dug through my closet and found a black crocheted hat I wore while in treatment. I even noticed it had tiny, short grey hairs-- from where my hair started growing back. I kind of chuckled at the stubs- and thought about how far I've come. Later…
Chemo for Me - Help
I just learned that my Oncotype test results placed me in the high risk group - 36/100. This means chemo. She thinks she will use a combo of cytoxan and taxotere. Anyone out there had any experience with this cocktail? If so, would you please share. It' strange. I'm not happy about chemo, but knowing is so much better than…
No reconstruction after rads?
Whoa, what's this? I am looking forward to my reconstruction after my radiation (six weeks of it). I am happy just to have implants. Is this not possible after radiation? Anyone have implants after radiation? I am small breasted and was planning on upping the stakes a little with the redo for fun. Yep, I look for fun where…
which reconstruction
Hello, group. It's ohilly. After much going back and forth, I have now decided to definitely get a mastectomy (I was leaning toward this anyway). So now I am going to focus my questions on the different types of reconstruction, which I understand are tram flap and implants. Can someone tell me their experiences with both…
more questions about the issue of mastectomy vs. lumpectomy
Hi, I'm ohilly. I have invasive intraductal carcinoma with a tumor of 1.8 cm. They also found calcifications contained in the duct behind this tumor which they do not know if they are cancerous or not. My mind was all made for a mastectomy, but now I have more questions which I am hoping someone can answer for me. I was…
Diep Flap Mayo
Has anyone out there had a diep flap from Mayo Clinic in Arizona? If so, I would like to know your experience, good or bad. Thanks!
Wigs - Where to Buy
With hair loss eminent due to chemo, I've decided to take the bull by the horns and get my head shaved BEFORE it clumps it way out of my scalp. I also want to get one wig, for just in case, I feel the need to have hair. Can anyone suggest a good source? How do they size wigs? The ones on the ACS catalog website run about…
arm pain during chemo
After my third a/c chemo I started feeling a pain in the arm I get my chemo in. and the pain has stayed about the same for a month. It seems to be just above the elbow and hurts when I extend my arm all the way and doesn't always hurt when in other positions. Of course I went into a funk thinking it was c in my bones.…
lumpectomy vs. mastectomy/update
Hi, it's ohilly. I have been on this board almost constantly since I was first diagnosed about two weeks ago. I have been diagnosed with invasive intraductal carcinoma with a 1 cm tumor. I am going to Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's, a teaching hospital in Chicago. For a long time I was going back and forth about whether or…
Anyone with a decent chemo experience?
If you have had a decent chemo experience would you be willing to share? I realize that chemo is a very individualized treatment and that it has many, many side effects. I may be facing chemo and have nightmares about it. If you've had a relatively decent course of chemo, please tell me about it. I think it would help…

Breast Cancer

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